24/7 traffic increase, delays expected as central Las Vegas roadwork begins

Work kicked off Monday on the $38.5 million road improvement project on stretches of Charleston Boulevard and Rancho Drive in the Las Vegas Medical District.

Crews began the 18-month project on Rancho, and within a few weeks the area will expand to include the stretch between Alta Drive and Oakey Boulevard, according to Las Vegas Paving. Rancho is seeing the rehabilitation of 4,700 linear feet of 45-inch sewer main and manholes on Rancho between Oakey and Pinto Lane.

The Charleston work, considered a “complete streets” project, will occur between Rancho and Martin L. King Jr. Boulevard.

Updates on Charleston includes new pavement, widened sidewalks with trees, median landscaping and irrigation, new signage and striping, bike lanes, dual-arm streetlights, new traffic signals and Intelligent Transportation Systems infrastructure, according to the city of Las Vegas. New water line and storm drain installations and the adding of Medical District-branded bus stops are also part of the project.

No new travel lanes are being added to Charleston or Rancho.

The area is home to several medical facilities including University Medical Center, Valley Hospital and the UNLV Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine.

Motorists can expect increased traffic and longer travel times through the area during the project, as lane impacts will be in place 24/7.

Recommended detours for east-west Charleston travel include Oakey, Alta Drive and Pinto and Palomino lanes.

Alternate routes for north-south travel on Rancho include Martin L. King Jr. and Valley View boulevards, Shadow Lane and Campbell Drive.

Contact Mick Akers at makers@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2920. Follow @mickakers on Twitter.